


blossoming alone over you

by sickly



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Drunk Dialing, Dumb Brothers, Eros sits there and he looks pretty doing it, F/M, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Persephone is Sad, References to Friends (TV), mushy stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-18 19:47:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20318524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sickly/pseuds/sickly
Summary: After what feels like a millennium, Hades mutters something. “You’re over me?”Persephone winces. She didn’t realize that her hair had grown down to her shoulders, and she feels hotter, despite how cold she typically is in this realm. The blue flowers are back, growing in a frenzied manner, dark and anguished. She doesn’t say a word.“You’re...over me? When were you...under me?”-Or, the one where Hades finds out.





	1. come into the water

**Author's Note:**

> alternatively titled: it's 4 am and i'm listening to mitski and i love the tv show "friends" way too damn much
> 
> it's been a while...i am very rusty. but i binged lore olympus tonight and boy i am sad. set in a somewhat canonical universe some time after hades and minthe make it official. may possibly write a continuation if anyone wants it! but i just wanted to write this as a drabble because i hadn't slept in 24 hours and i was sad. anyways here's this

Hades already has seven dogs. Of course, his house is big enough, but he has _seven _dogs, and one of them has three heads, so it has to count as three dogs anyways. At least that’s what Persephone tells herself, trying desperately to understand why Minthe had posted about shelter-searching with Hades. They were trying to give another pup its furr-ever home, together, as one, for both of them to take care of. But Hades already has seven dogs, there isn’t any reason they can’t share one of those. 

It has only been a month since that Fatesbook post. Hades and Minthe were official--are official. Persephone has been trying her hardest to be okay with it. But things have been weird, and mucky, and awful. Her crush was doing just that--absolutely crushing her. At this point, she knew it was useless. Hades is with someone else. Her feelings, whatever they may be, are pointless. 

Somehow, she still ends up with Eros, throwing back fruity alcoholic drinks with him (willingly, this time) while Artemis is away. She isn’t quite as bubbly after everything that’s happened, and she’s willing to do what it takes to get back there. Eros was more than happy to comply when she’d messaged him. 

“Would - would you ever get a pet with someone you’d only beenwith, _officially_, for a...month?” Persephone asks through a hiccup. She’s only on her third drink, but Gods, is she a lightweight, and Eros makes them strong. She’s not as bubbly as she hoped to be. In fact, she’s a lot sadder than she expected. She keeps lurking on Minthe’s account, looking at the post about the damn shelter puppies. Hades is there, tentatively smiling in the background, but it still makes Persephone’s stomach twist. The little dimples that show up at the tops of his cheeks still make her melt. A crown of light blue flowers appears on Persephone's head.

“Oh, sweet girl,” Eros croons. He pets over her ever-growing hair, sighing at her sadness. “I don’t know. I may be a God of Love, but even I can admit that it’s quite fickle sometimes.”

Persephone whines, putting her head down on the table. She hiccups again. 

“Why can’t I get over him?” is all that she says after a while, her voice small and buried into the wood of the table. Eros can hear the slight twinge of threatening tears in her voice, like she won’t swallow the lump that’s sitting in her throat. She won’t. She’s cried so many times around Hades, but only a handful of times over him. She’s afraid it’ll make her look like the child everyone accuses her of being. The crown of flowers darkens in color, reaching a shade close to navy blue. 

Eros flicks a petal away, sighing again. “Maybe you just need closure,” he tells her. “When you admitted your crush, it felt real in that very moment. Maybe you need to say… ‘I’m over him,’ for that to be real too.” In a flash, her head is up, and a smile is on her face. Eros is taken aback. 

“You absolute genius, Eros, I adore you,” Persephone says, grabbing both sides of his face to lay a kiss on his forehead. Before Eros knows what’s happening, she’s digging around the room for something. When she finds it, he sees that it’s her phone. There’s an eerie look of determination on her face, tongue poked out as she scrolls through. She grabs her drink, downs the last of it, and does the same to Eros’. 

“Persie,” he starts carefully. She fumbles with her phone, then gasps with triumph when she finds Hades’ contact. “Pers…”

Then, the ringing. She puts the phone on speaker, and the phone rings. After what feels like forever, Hades’ voice bellows through the speaker. _Salutations!_ Both of their hearts skip a beat, before they realize it’s his voicemail. Eros almost lets out a sigh of relief. 

But then, the beep. 

“Persephone, hang up,” Eros says, voice hushed, but it’s too late. 

Persephone hiccups. “Hades!” she giggles into the phone, “Hades, hi. Hello. It’s Persephone, Kore, you know! I hope you’re doing well on this very fine evening...I was just calling to - to say that everything is fine. I’m fine, and I’m really happy for you and your new _dog_. Please, do me a favor and name it Eros, pretty please.” Eros cringes. 

“S-Since I am so, so happy for you, we can come to an agreement! That I am over you. Yes, that’s right, Hades, _I _am over _you_! How’s that for closure?”

Just as fast as it started, Persephone hangs up her phone. She has a small, ditzy smile on her face. Eros doesn’t know what to do, what to say, especially when the smile begins to quiver and he’s left with a blubbering mess in his arms. It doesn’t last long, as she passes out right there, and Eros takes her to bed. He tucks her in. If he wasn’t one for excitement, he truly would’ve stopped her. In the end, he is his mother’s son.

\--

Persephone’s head is pounding still as she gets onto the elevator in the morning. She leans against the wall, and it takes her far too long to realize when Hades joins her. They begin to ascend.

“Hello,” is what Hades says to grab her attention. Her head pounds again as she looks to meet his eyes, and she finally swallows that lump in her throat. He’s smiling, only faintly at her, but it still has the same affect on her. 

If she had any clear recollection of the night before, she would be cursing him. 

“Hi,” Persephone says, then, “I heard you’re looking for a new dog.” She tries not to visibly cringe.

Hades stiffens. “Word travels fast.”

Persephone only nods.

“It’s in consideration. I’ve already got -” 

“Seven dogs,” Persephone interjects. Hades glances at her, an eyebrow raised, and Persephone ducks away from his gaze. 

There’s a brief moment of silence between them. It’s not awkward, never has been. But Persephone has been finding it harder and harder to be around Hades lately. The way her heart feels heavy in her chest does nothing to help. 

Everything was fine until Hades decided to start avoiding her. Ever since that damned post, their interactions have been minimal. She savors what she can get, but lately, it seems as though Hades wants nothing to do with her. Maybe she was a fool after all. Perhaps she is the dumb village girl she suspected all along.

“Would you mind coming to my office? I just wanted to go over a few things. I’ve already got you here, so I assumed…” Hades trails off. Both of their gazes are back to the elevator doors. Persephone wants nothing more than for them to open so she can get out, so she can breathe. She gives Hades a curt nod. When the elevator doors finally open, she’s the first one out. She leads the way to his office, her little legs carrying her as fast as they possibly can. Once there, she takes the first seat she can, desperate for water and something to make her headache go away. 

“I’ll get to things in a moment,” Hades tells her, setting up his things for the day. Persephone doesn’t protest, because why would she? It isn’t until he checks his answering machine, checks the damn call log to see who left any messages. It’s hazy, because she’s focusing on the ringing in her ears, but Persephone hears something like, “Did you leave me a message?”

It takes her a moment to process it. A moment too slow. 

_“Persephone, hang up.” _Eros. In the quickest moment, Persephone feels fine. Not fine, but alert--alert enough to scroll through her call log and see that she’d not only called Hades the night before, but she accidentally called his work number. He didn’t hear the message, a message she barely remembers leaving. At least not until now. 

“Hades,” Persephone says frantically, but she can hear her voice, her words slurred and muddled by hiccups. “Hades, it’s nothing. Please delete it. Oh my Gods.”

She tries so desperately to stop him, to end the message, but Hades lifts a firm hand to her. One that she can’t deny.

Hades is just standing there. He’s listening intently, eyes glued to the answering machine. Persephone wants to disappear.

_“S-Since I am so, so happy for you, we can come to an agreement! That I am over you. Yes, that’s right, Hades, _I _am over _you! _How’s that for closure?” _

Silence falls over them again. This time, the air feels thick. Neither of them dare to move, or speak, or barely even breathe. 

After what feels like a millennium, Hades mutters something. “You’re over me?” 

Persephone winces. She didn’t realize that her hair had grown down to her shoulders, and she feels hotter, despite how cold she typically is in this realm. The blue flowers are back, growing in a frenzied manner, dark and anguished. She doesn’t say a word.

“You’re...over me? When were you...under me?”

“Hades, I--I don’t...please don’t…” 

It’s all that Persephone can manage. Her hair is flowing now, the dark blue flowers out of control. Her heart thrums wildly in her chest, but not in the way she likes when she's around Hades, not in the good way. The all too familiar tears are brimming her eyes as she looks up at Hades. Her feet move faster than her brain can tell her _no, don’t run, stop running. _

In the moment, Hades’ feet can’t move at all.


	2. from the right angle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is Minthe next?” Poseidon asks excitedly. “Oh, this is going to be so good. I’ve been waiting for this day.”
> 
> Zeus pinches the bridge of his nose, but he nods. He looks to Hades again, waiting for a few moments. When Hades doesn’t speak, he frowns, almost scared that he won’t find any flaws in being with Minthe. “Well?”
> 
> Hades stares down at the notepad in front of Zeus. He looks at Minthe’s name, then at Persephone’s. His heart is pounding in his ears, and as he looks up at his brothers, the smallest of frowns draws over his lips. “She’s not Persephone.”
> 
> \--
> 
> Or, the one with the list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh brother i thought i could leave it as a single thing but i'm weak! absolutely weak! this isn't following the thread of ross/rachel episodes exactly (if you've seen them) but i thought i'd give my own interpretation on how these particular characters would act in these situations! anyways. tags are being added as this goes on i guess!!

As King of the Underworld, Hades doesn’t know who he can contract to have the ground swallow him whole. 

In his chest, his heart is unbelievably calm. Too calm, in fact, slowing down drastically. It’s only then does Hades realize he’d been holding his breath. He sucks one in sharply, his head going dizzy as he tries to think of what _ in Gaia’s name _ just happened. He looks down at his answering machine again, uses the touch screen to play the voicemail once more. 

_ “Yes, that’s right, Hades, _ I _ am over _you!” 

Persephone’s voice sounds so different. He can tell she’s drunk, but the same melancholic attributes he first picked up when they met are amplified. There is no stopping the pang that hits his chest. She said she was happy for him. A sick part of him hopes it isn’t true. 

When the realization of what the voicemail meant hits him, Hades feels his morning cup of coffee churning in his stomach. It’d been only a month since he convinced himself that whatever he felt for Persephone was useless. He convinced himself that Minthe needed him more than he needed whatever was brewing between him and Persephone. But then, avoiding Persephone may have been the wrong decision. He spent so much time trying not to see her that when he did, he felt like a dying man receiving just what he needed to keep going, just for a little longer. 

He no longer closed his eyes when he kissed Minthe. It was no use. All he saw was her. 

After everything, Hades finally convinced himself that Persephone would never feel anything for an old crook like him. It’s not like he deserved her affections anyways. She couldn’t want him, even if she _ wanted _ to. Her scholarship was a big, fat glaring factor to it. No matter, Hades really hated being wrong. After the voicemail, he hates it even more. 

“Hey, big blue idiot,” a voice rings in his office, and Hades snaps himself out of it to look and see Hecate with a scolding gaze, stomping in his direction. “You’ve got any good reason as to why I just saw Persephone running out of here in near tears?” 

Hades chokes on his response. 

Hecate must sense his distress if she can’t already see it, and softens around the edges. She sighs. “Hades,” she says, standing on the other side of his desk. “What in Gaia’s name happened?”

Hades, swallowing thickly, only says, “I have to go.” 

Hades rarely, if ever, left work without any prior notice. Hecate is shocked, but something in her gut tells her not to stop him. He is gone before anything else can be said. 

\--

“Is he going to talk?” 

“For the first time in my life, I don’t know.” Zeus leans closer to Poseidon, eyes squinted and kept on Hades. He gets as close to Poseidon as he can to continue whispering. “He never wants to be with us. Do you think something is wrong with him, you know, in the head?”

“I can hear you idiots,” Hades finally mumbles. His voice is flat, lifeless, and it chills his brother’s bones. 

Zeus snaps away from Poseidon. He swallows, and straightens himself out. “Great, he speaks,” he says and leans on the table, eyeing Hades cautiously. “Then perhaps you’ll care to tell us why we’re sitting in my conference room on a very busy day.” 

Hades lets out a sigh and rolls his eyes. “I -- need advice.”

At this, both of his brothers perk up. They look at each other, curiosity in their eyes, then back at Hades with smug smiles tugging at the corners of their lips. “Well, this is quite interesting, Hades,” Zeus says and Poseidon nods happily. 

“Do we have some expertise that you don’t? Because that’d be really, really great,” Poseidon chuckles. He’s no longer holding back his big, dopey smile.

Hades runs a hand over his face, then looks down at the table. “Yes,” he says. “You both...you both have wives.” 

“Oh.” Zeus then eyes Hades peculiarly, trying his best to read his brother. He never was the easiest to do that to. Hades is never one to even stick around with them. He’s always the first to leave their gatherings, making him the hardest to understand over their many, many years together. “Please, for our own sake, tell us it’s not about Minthe. We can’t go through this again.” 

“No,” Hades says quickly, eyes glossing over with a tinge of pain. He doesn’t dare let his brothers see. “I mean, I suppose somewhat. But...no. It’s--it’s about K--Persephone.”

“_Oh_,” Poseidon croons. His interest is definitely piqued, Zeus’ as well. “The Goddess of Spring. We haven’t heard about her in a hot minute. Weren’t you finished with her?” 

He was supposed to be. Hades buries his face in his hands, groaning into his palms. He was _ supposed to be_. But then she had to go and stir the pot, she just had to leave him that damned voicemail. He knows deep down he can’t blame her. He knows better, knows that things are sometimes supposed to happen. But, for the life of him, he can’t figure out why this particular thing had to happen at this particular time. 

But, maybe it wasn’t the voicemail. Maybe it was the way she looked at him. Maybe it was how, even though he’d been so cruel to her the past few weeks, she still graced him with the softest smile and warmest eyes whenever they crossed paths. She never did things out of spite. She never once returned his treatment. Maybe it was because Hades is her boss, or maybe it’s because Persephone is painfully, and utterly wonderful. 

Maybe, Hades is an utter fool. 

“Sweet Gaia,” Zeus says after watching his brother sulk for far too long. “You’ve realized you’re in love with her, haven’t you?” 

Hades drags his hands down, peering up at Zeus and Poseidon as he dramatically stretches the skin of his face. The bags under his eyes feel heavier than ever. 

“Well, shit,” Zeus huffs. “What about Minthe?” 

Poseidon scoffs. “Don’t try and convince him to _ stay _ with her,” he hisses at Zeus. Hades throws a glare his way, and Poseidon sinks down in his chair.

“Listen,” Zeus sighs, retracting his own glare from Poseidon and giving Hades the most sympathetic look he can muster. Truly, he cares for his brother. Showing it is the hard part. “Not that I don’t _ agree _ with fish sticks, but why the sudden change of heart?”

Hades remains quiet. 

“All I’m saying is, first you want nothing to do with her. You make things _ official _with Minthe, you’re looking for a dog with her! How long do dogs live?” Zeus looks to Poseidon for an answer. 

“Uh, forever?”

“Forever! Dogs here are immortal!” Zeus takes a breath. “And now...you love, or whatever, Persephone. Which is no surprise, but what on Olympus brought you to _ this_?” He gestures to Hades’ current state, distressed, disheveled, and hurting even Zeus’ own heart. 

Hades sits back in his chair. He swallows down the ache in his throat. “I may or may not have been made aware of a few things,” he finally says. “Regarding how Persephone feels towards me.” 

Poseidon’s eyebrows shoot up. “Who said something?”

Hades sighs. “She did.”

“Oh shit,” both Zeus and Poseidon say. They’re shocked, unaware that the little Goddess of Spring even had it in her to be so forward. Before they can ask, Hades speaks again. 

“She sent me a very, very drunken voicemail. She proclaimed that she is...over me.”

“Hades,” Zeus says slowly, shaking his head. He’s trying to think, and do it fast. He can’t sit here and let Hades be put through a wringer of his own creation. “Do you have any clue what you even want to do?”

“No,” Hades says in complete honesty. He doesn’t. He can’t bear to think of dealing with the task of ending things with Minthe, because it obviously went so well the last time. But thinking of the logistics of falling into Persephone’s embrace, of being with her and figuring out where to go from there--somehow that’s just as bad. He’d only ever admitted it to Persephone, in a letter he never intends to send, that he’s never been in love before. Whatever he feels for her, he doesn’t know how to wrangle it. It’s spreading like a wildfire, setting his heart ablaze. Hades has never been more scared in his life. 

Poseidon clears his throat. He takes a notepad from the center of the table, and a pen from a cup right next to it. “Well,” he starts, “I think this calls for a list.”

Zeus and Hades look at him, expressions deadpanned, but still inquiring. “A list?” Zeus questions. 

“Yes, a list,” Poseidon huffs. He writes Minthe’s and Persephone’s names at the top of the page. “A pros and cons list. It’s the simplest way to make a tough decision.”

Zeus eyes Poseidon skeptically, taking the pad and pen from him. He looks down at it, but he lets out a pensive sigh. “I hate to say this, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea. My therapist had me do this once.” Hades and Poseidon furrow their brows. Zeus looks up to roll his eyes. “Yes, I see a therapist sometimes. _ Sometimes._” 

Hades hesitates, but he doesn’t protest. “Okay,” he says. Poseidon smiles widely. 

“Sick! Okay, let’s start with the cons. They’re fun,” he says, jittering in his seat as he watches Zeus yield the pen. “Can we do Minthe first?” Poseidon’s eyes are practically shining. 

“No,” Zeus says sternly. Poseidon pouts, but says nothing. “It’s too easy. Persephone first.”

They look to Hades, who gulps under their gazes. Cons of Persephone? Cons of _ being _ with Persephone? He doesn’t know if he can muster it. As he looks at it now, there are none. Being surrounded by her presence already feels perfect to him. The only bad thing is that he can’t seem to get enough of her. Hades takes in a breath, and ponders. 

“I--I don’t know,” he says. “Maybe...maybe the The Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood scholarship.” 

“Perfect start. That really does put a damper on things, doesn’t it?” Zeus says, almost sarcastically, scribbling it down quickly. “What next?”

Hades struggles to think. He doesn’t _ know_. At this point, he wants to start spewing bullshit to keep them happy. “Her mother hates me.”

“Good! That’s good, nice, alright.” Zeus doesn’t see the irony in praising Hades for coming up with _ bad _things about Persephone, but he just looks to him, waiting for more responses. By the end of it, Hades is only able to come up with so many things. 

“Alright, well,” Zeus sighs, “We’ve got: scholarship, mommy issues, bitter roommate, no license, just a kid, and...it hurts your neck to look at her.” Zeus gives Hades a vacant look. “I can’t help but realize that none of these things are _ directly _ about her. But we’re going to have to deal.” 

Besides Zeus, Poseidon is buzzing in his seat, eyes and smile wide as he looks between the both of them. “Is Minthe next?” he asks excitedly. “Oh, this is going to be so good. I’ve been waiting for this day.”

Zeus pinches the bridge of his nose, but he nods. He looks to Hades again, waiting for a few moments. When Hades doesn’t speak, he frowns, almost scared that he won’t find any flaws in being with Minthe. “Well?”

Hades stares down at the notepad in front of Zeus. He looks at Minthe’s name, then at Persephone’s. His heart is pounding in his ears, and as he looks up at his brothers, the smallest of frowns draws over his lips. “She’s not Persephone.”

Poseidon’s shoulders drop in disappointment, but he can’t help the look of sympathy that casts over his face. Neither can Zeus. It isn’t until then do either of them realize the weight of the situation.

\--

“Don’t we have to leave at some point today?” 

Persephone looks over at Megaera, the most sullen look on her face. Megaera pouts with her. “I suppose we don’t have to. At least not until we clock out.”

At some point on her elevator ride down, Persephone managed to catch her breath. She gathered her bearings, accepting what had just happened to her. Her brain was finally able to catch up to her. Persephone reasoned with it, saying she would run, but she wouldn’t run far. 

She found herself in the locker rooms where she first met Megaera. When the sweet, lilac fury came in and found her there, sulking in her own hair, she offered to stay. 

Persephone had never been so grateful for someone’s presence. She sat there in silence with her for a while, and Megaera was okay with it. She wasn’t going to pressure her if she didn’t need to. Not until Persephone was ready to speak on her own terms. When she finally did, it was with a shaky voice.

When Persephone mentioned what happened, and who it happened with, she could see Megaera tense. She swears she saw her eye twitch too. After a few moments though, Megaera deflated. She pet over Persephone’s hair and picked up one of the dark blue petals lying around. She stared at it, almost fondly, then smiled at Persephone. 

“You’ve been so kind, Persephone,” she told her, and that was it. She continued to listen to Persephone’s woes. They sat there for hours. Megaera even braided Persephone’s hair for her. 

Persephone didn’t know the reason behind Megaera’s behavior, but she was grateful nonetheless. She needed time to recollect. 

When Megaera’s phone rings though, Persephone pouts listening to the muffled shouts from the other end of the phone. Megaera tells her she’s needed by her sisters. 

“I’m sorry,” she says, and Persephone shakes her head. She finally gets up, stretching her body out. 

“Please don’t apologize. I...I think I should go too. I can’t hide away forever.”

They share fond smiles and walk out together. When the two of them finally go their separate ways, Persephone looks around anxiously for any sign of Hades. She almost makes it, she’s so close, _ so close _ to the library, where she’ll hide out until she can go home. She’s looking behind her when it happens, rounding a corner when she bumps into an all too familiar, tall and broad figure, sending her and a piece of paper to the ground. She looks up to find a frazzled Hades, staring down at her, and she has to do everything she can not to panic. 

“Kore,” Hades says quickly, then, “Persephone.”

Persephone scrambles to her feet, having picked up the sheet of paper that Hades dropped. She swallows thickly. “Hades,” she chokes out. 

“I--can we--Persephone, can we talk? Please?”

“I should go.”

“Persephone, please--”

“Hades, I have to go.” Persephone’s voice is stern and harsh, and it’s not something she’d ever used towards Hades before. It sends a wave of heat across both their bodies. 

“Okay.” Hades gives in, so easily. Persephone tries not to dwell on it. How respectful Hades can be sometimes, how he refuses to push her boundaries, even at times like this. She doesn’t need her heart to start doing flips again when it’s already struggling in her chest. 

Persephone begins to walk away. In their panic, neither of them realized she still had the sheet of paper. Persephone is the first to notice, and this time, Hades is the one a moment too slow. 

When Persephone notices, she moves to just turn around to give it back. But one glance at it, even though she doesn’t mean to invade whatever privacy it may hold, reveals the briefest glimpse of her name. 

“Wait, Persephone, my p--” Hades turns around to see her already reading it. Her face has dropped, her eyes scanning quickly over, and over, and over again. Hades’ heart falls to the ground. Now would be the perfect moment for it to open, and swallow him up. 

“Mommy issues?” Persephone whispers quietly. She moves her eyes from the paper to Hades, and he can see the sadness deep within them. “No _ license_? _ Just a kid?_ What is this?” 

At first, a red vine begins to grow above Persephone’s hair, with prickly thorns. But, it stops. It retreats, and is quickly replaced by sad, pathetic blue flowers once more. Her braid, with new hair growing, becomes loose. 

Hades chokes on any response he can give.

“Are you comparing me to _ Minthe_?” 

Still, nothing. 

Persephone looks down at the paper, and lets it fall to the ground. 

“Persephone, I promise it’s not what you think,” Hades finally says. It’s all he can think of. 

“I’m going home.” Persephone’s voice is stoic now, sad and dead. 

For the second time that day, Hades has no choice but to watch Persephone walk away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh brother. i promise this was meant to be a simple friends drabble but [shrugs]. i apologize for any mistakes, my only beta reader is me!! feedback is always appreciated!! thanks for reading!


	3. dear persephone, part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Persephone,_  
  
_I hope you receive these in a timely manner. I know I am not your mother, but a very concerned friend who wishes nothing but the best for you. I want nothing more than to see you happy. For this reason, I have committed a very small crime against the King, and possibly you, in hopes that you both can forgive me one day. If things go well, I think you will. _
> 
> _Hades is an idiot. Perhaps you can see past that. I think one more chance is all he needs._
> 
> _-Hecate_  
\--
> 
> The one with the letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is supposed to be "the one with the prom video" but i've gotten so far from my initial friends trope, let's run with it

When Persephone was a young girl, she was taught to stifle her anger. She never yelled, never flew off the handle with rage. She never spoke back to her mother or raised her voice. Sooner or later, she forgot what the urges felt like. 

But, as she walks into her home and paces the living room, chest rising and falling rapidly, she doesn’t know what to do. Persephone can’t quite explain what she’s feeling. There is the tightest feeling in her chest, and trying to catch her breath only makes it worse. There are tears in her eyes, but they feel different. It almost feels like they burn, and her nose does too. She goes into her room, slamming the door behind her. Her fingers are going numb. 

She looks at her bed. A pillow has never looked so enticing before. 

Though her nerves are buzzing, she grabs one, and lifts it to her face before letting out a scream that makes her throat feel raw. 

When she pulls her head back, hot tears finally stream down her cheeks. She looks into her vanity mirror. Persephone decides now that hurt, and anger most of all, are not a good look on her. 

In the back of her mind lies the list. Currently, it’s a blur. All she remembers is the two sides being her and Minthe, and although she didn’t think to catch Minthe’s side, she knows that her own was much longer. After Persephone manages to gather her ability to breathe again, she realizes that she isn’t even quite sure what the list was _ for_. All she knows is that her heart hurts, and Hades was the one who did it. 

All of her insecurities were put down on a list. It’s one thing to have them yourself, but to have someone you trusted spit them back in your face was another. When she realizes this, Persephone begins to cry again. After a while, she musters up a text inviting Eros back over. 

“Oh, sweet angel,” is Eros’ initial reaction to seeing Persephone open the door. She is, undeniably, a mess. Almost instinctively, he pulls her to be cradled in his arms. “He heard it, didn’t he?” 

Persephone lets Eros into her room. His hold is so much more comforting than she thought it would be. He lets her cry, doesn’t expect her to say anything right away just like Megaera. When she’s ready, he cuts her hair for her, and cleans up the pink and blue petals. 

“Is this what it felt like?” Persephone finally speaks, voice smaller than ever. Eros hums, looking at her inquisitively. She looks up to meet his eye. “When Psyche broke your heart. Is this what it felt like?”

Eros sighs and sits back down next to her where she’s curled up in her bed. “I think everyone’s heart aches feel different,” he tells her. “Just stay away from the mortal realm. You’ll be able to handle it so well if you do that.” 

Eros offers a small smile, and even though she’s confused, Persephone just lets out a weak laugh. Her tears stopped a while ago, and only a small ache emits from her heart and thrums through her body every so often. 

Finally, she tells Eros all that happened. From the morning to finally walking out of the building to go home. 

“I should’ve stopped you,” Eros says when she’s finished. “I thought maybe if I just let it happen, you’d both come to your senses. I’m sorry, sweetheart, but watching you pine over Prince of Darkness was getting painful. This is my fault.”

Persephone sits up. She caresses Eros’ cheek and sighs, shaking her head. “I don’t blame you, Eros,” she says. She doesn’t. In fact, she can’t even bring herself to blame Hades. Despite the pangs she feels in her chest, she knows that most things happen for a reason. Even so, things aren’t completely out of one’s control. She never had to take the internship. She never had to play him for it. When she found out about Minthe, she could have kept her distance the way he seemed to have been doing. Persephone constantly felt like _ just a kid_, just a _ dumb village girl_, but if she was going to prove anyone wrong, even herself, she had to start somewhere. Part of being an adult was accepting that some things, if not most, would be partially her responsibility. “I think maybe this is the closure part.”

Eros smiles again, almost proudly. He stays silent for a moment, then looks puzzled. “Wait,” he says, scratching the top of his head. “What in Olympus was the list for?”

Persephone goes to speak, but closes her mouth abruptly. She’d been trying to figure it out. “I’m not really sure,” she says. She pouts. 

“Oh my god,” Eros then says. “Was it a pros and cons list?” 

Persephone’s face falls into a flat expression. “A what?”

“A pros and cons list. My mom suggested it to Hera when Zeus first started having his affairs. Apparently she found more pros and is still with him, but that’s besides the point,” Eros snickers, rolling his eyes. “But it’s the perfect solution to help make tough decisions.”

“That sounds...really dumb,” Persephone says honestly. She can’t help her small laugh though. 

“Oh, it is. I never said we were smart in these realms, hun,” Eros huffs. “But if that’s the case...maybe he was considering the pros and cons of—of being with you versus Minthe.” 

Persephone scoffs, waving her hand in protest to Eros’ claims. There’s absolutely no way, because that would mean—

“Yeah right,” she says, almost nervously. “That would mean—he—” Persephone gulps. 

A wicked grin grows on Eros’ face. “Returns your feelings.”

“Oh, sweet Zeus.”

—

_ Dearest Kore, _

_ I don’t know how to start this to you. I think I want to go against my therapist’s advice and send this to you. Maybe it’s not a smart idea. But it seems that I’ve been doing a lot of less than smart things lately. I will end this streak by offering my apolog— _

_Dear Persephone, _

_ I am sorry. It may not fix things, and I do not intend to heal your wounds with a simple letter, but I can at least hope to start the process— _

_ To Kore, _

_ I promise to never listen to my brothers EVER again if you please forgive me im big dum idiot OKAY _

In his string of finally making better decisions, writing to Persephone was not Hades first. For that reason, his cheek is stinging as he sits with a bottle of wine and crumpled up letters surrounding his space. In all honesty, Minthe took it a lot better than he anticipated. Regardless of whether or not Persephone ever wanted to speak to him again, it was his turn to fix everything he’d done. 

He was a mess. Minthe was a mess too. That didn’t give either of them the right to brew such toxicity, to rely on each other to make one another not-so-messy. Even if he did love her, they would’ve never gotten anywhere going the way they were. There was no light at the end of the tunnel for them, and he’d known it for so long. Perhaps it’s the reason he stayed with her for all this time. He’s an immortal being. The further they went, the further the wall at the end of the tunnel got. The only problem was the exhaustion of chasing it. 

When Hades went to return Minthe’s heart, he realized that maybe he never had it all. She didn’t have his. After she slapped him, she cried. But it wasn’t hysterical. In a cruel way, it was almost understanding. Hades finally understood why they were never good for one another. He should have never done this, to either of them. He only hurt so many people in the process of trying to stick to a routine, something he was comfortable with, not something he was happy with. Still, he wanted Minthe to find peace. If not then, maybe one day. 

His next wrong to right was Persephone. Hades wasn’t going to demand her forgiveness, but at least let her know that he was full to the brim with regret. 

He writes a dozen letters that night in a pathetic attempt to wrangle his thoughts, and doesn’t get any sleep. He fears that anything he says won’t do the trick. Deep down, he doesn’t believe he deserves it. Even without the dumb ass list, he wouldn’t have blamed Persephone for never wanting to speak to him again. He hid his idiotic feelings for a month, avoided her like the plague, instead of pulling his pants up high and facing whatever the hell was happening. 

Hades didn’t know what these feelings were before Persephone. He was just a fool for thinking he had to go through it alone. 

He gathers his letters and straightens them out, folding each one and addressing them to her. He shoves them in his little drawer of _ Persephone_. 

In the early hours of the morning, he calls Hecate at a time he knows she’ll be awake, and requests that she comes over before work. 

“So,” Hades says when he lets her inside, sighing and leading her to his office. “I fucked up.”

“I gathered that,” Hecate huffs. She raises her eyebrows at him, and he just cowers under her glare. 

“I can’t figure out how to fix it, Hecate,” he says, carding a hand through his already mussed hair. 

“Start from the beginning, please.” 

Hades sighs heavily. “I think I’m in love with Persephone.” 

Hecate all but snorts. “Okay, not that far back, please,” she says and Hades shoots her a glare. But he gets it. Everyone but him had seen it all along. It’s why Minthe was so threatened in the first place. Hecate had always known, after she realized he hadn’t done anything with her the night they met. His brothers knew, _ everyone _ knew. He only wishes he had known too, or at least listened to everyone else when they said something. 

Hades takes in a breath. He gets it. So he starts with what Hecate doesn’t know, relaying the events of the past day or so, and everything that lead up to it. To emphasize how bad it was, how deep he was in this, he shows her his drawer of _ Persephone. _In the end, Hecate almost looks sympathetic. Almost. She flicks his head, and groans. 

“How many times have I lead you astray?” Hecate questions as she paces his office. Hades is left rubbing his forehead with a childish pout on his face. 

“I—none.” 

“And how many times did I tell you not to be an idiot about Persephone?” she continues. 

Hades hangs his head. “A lot of times.” 

“And were you an idiot? A lot of times?”

“Okay, now you’re just starting to be mean,” Hades says, still pouting. Hecate turns to look at him with a firm glare, but it softens, and she goes up to him. She places a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“I just want this to work out. For both of you,” she tells him, voice kinder and calmer. “When Persephone was first around, you softened up around the edges. You smiled a lot more. Your eyes didn’t look as tired. It was funny at first, to see how you reacted to her, but then it wasn’t so funny anymore. Not after things with Minthe became official, and you started looking tired again. I think—I think you just need to talk to her. If she doesn’t want to hear you out, then so be it. But it won’t hurt to try, Hades.”

Hades looks down at Hecate. His eyes have glossed over with wetness, but he doesn’t dare let himself cry. Hecate isn’t wrong. She rarely is, if ever. He supposes it’s time to finally start listening to her. 

Before he can say anything, he hears distant growls and yips. He groans. 

“I’ll be back,” Hades says and quickly leaves to go find out what is going on. 

Hecate paces the room for a moment, before her eyes land on the drawer that Hades had shown her. She hums. 

Hades walks back to his office after a few minutes, expression flat as he sighs. “A spider got inside, Cordon Bleu was not having it,” he says, walking inside before he sees that Hecate is gone. He frowns. He wasn’t done asking for her help, but he just lets it go. He needs to get ready for work anyways, and he needs as much coffee as he can get. 

Out in her car, Hecate sits with her phone against her ear while it dials. From the other end, “Hecate?”

A smile draws upon her lips. “Hermes,” she says happily. She starts her engine, eyes casting over to the letters Hades addressed to Persephone in her seat. “I have a task for you.” 


	4. dear persephone, part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other one with the letter.

“Why wouldn’t Hades ask me to do this himself?” 

Hecate smiles, kicking her feet up on Hades’ desk. She shrugs. “He had some business to attend to. But it’s dire that Persephone receives these. But do me a favor, make sure she reads mine first, okay?” 

Hermes looks nervous, because he is. But there’s no option to disobey Hecate, and really, no reason. He takes the two letters that Hecate hands him and looks them over. “Okay,” he says obediently. “I’ll deliver these as soon as I catch her.” 

“Thank you, Hermes,” Hecate says. Truthfully, she sounds grateful. She lets him leave and smiles triumphantly to herself. If she had to play Eros, she would, and gladly. 

—

Persephone is trying very, very hard to carry herself with confidence. After getting chewed out by Hestia and a _ very _ long morning, she mustered up just enough (with Eros’ help and comfort) to actually go into work. She’s late. But at least she’s showing up at all. 

“You march your cute little but in there, you give him a piece of your mind,” Eros had said before seeing her off. He stayed, for moral support through everything she was going through that day. “You tell him that no matter how he feels about you, you are no fool! You are a Goddess and you will be treated as such!” 

Eros was definitely playing into the dramatics of it all. He _ lived _ for these things, literally. Even though he would always be there for emotional support, he did enjoy when things got a bit messy. 

Persephone listens to him anyways. At least she tries to. She approaches Underworld Corp., looking up at the tall towers. Suddenly, they seem so much more intimidating than ever before. With a deep breath, she steps through the doors. A few of the other employees nod at her to say hello, completely unaware of what brewed within those very walls. It still feels like everyone knows. Everyone knows that she loves Hades, everyone knows she made a fool of herself, everyone _ knows _what a fucking mess everything is now. 

The elevator is in her sights when she hears her name. 

“Persephone, wait!” It’s Hermes. He’s running up to her with his bright smile. “Hey! I have something for you.” 

Persephone sees the letters in his hand. She immediately wants to hide, she feels like she knows what’s coming. She stays put though, letting Hermes approach her. 

“Hello, Hermes,” she says kindly, like she always does, no matter what inner turmoil she’s experiencing. 

“I didn’t think you were here. I was going to head to your place right now! Special delivery from Hecate,” Hermes says, waving the letters in his hand. Persephone nearly lets out a sigh of relief. It’s from Hecate. She can handle that. Right? “Well, Hades, actually. Both! Please read Hecate’s first though. Her request.”

Shoot. Persephone’s smile wavers, only slightly. Hermes hands her the letters. On top is the one from Hecate, she recognizes her handwriting. She doesn’t have to look to know the second is from Hades. The letter nearly burns her hand at the thought. 

“I—thank you, Hermes. I’ll see you around, okay?” she says, just as the elevator doors open for someone else’s exit a few feet away. He gives her a small salute as a goodbye before Persephone rushes onto the elevator. She requests the 99th floor. 

She looks down at the letters in her hand, sighing heavily as the elevator begins to move. “Well,” she says to herself. “Better tear the band-aid off now.” 

Persephone starts with Hecate’s. 

_ Persephone, _

_ I hope you receive these in a timely manner. I know I am not your mother, but a very concerned friend who wishes nothing but the best for you. I want nothing more than to see you happy. For this reason, I have committed a very small crime against the King, and possibly you, in hopes that you both can forgive me one day. If things go well, I think you will. _

_ Hades is an idiot. Perhaps you can see past that. I think one more chance is all he needs. _

_ -Hecate _

Confusion dawns over Persephone, washing over her like a wave. She has no idea what’s going on, what in Olympus Hecate even _ means_. But her curiosity gets the very best of her as she quickly opens Hades’ letter. 

_ Dear Persephone, _

_ My therapist— _

The elevator stops on floor twenty. 

“I need those flowers delivered as soon as possible, _ please!_” 

Oh no. Persephone’s body begins to go haywire, her nerves on fire, because she knows that voice. It’s too late to do anything about it when he’s on the elevator, consumed with his phone and furiously typing away. Persephone is backed into the corner. She wonders if she can disappear this way. Any confidence she had before is long gone, her heart wildly beating in her chest. 

It takes a moment. Only a moment before he sees her. The elevator doors have already closed. 

Their eyes meet, and Persephone gulps. 

“Per—Persephone,” Hades says. He sounds out of breath. 

Almost comically, Persephone averts her eyes like she never even saw him, going back to the letter. Now, it’s a race to finish it. 

Thirty-fifth floor.

Hades is frantic though. He’s speaking, begging her to talk to him, even pulling a folded sheet of paper out of his pocket. 

Persephone keeps her eyes on the letter, and slowly, she starts to deflate. The further she gets into it, the tighter her chest feels, the more her throat feels like it’s caving in on itself. 

“Persephone, I’m _ sorry_, I’m so sorry for the list, I didn’t—I didn’t plan this. I didn’t think you were coming in, I just sent—please just hear me out. We have so much to talk about.” Hades isn’t pausing for breaths. He can’t. If he doesn’t get it out now, he fears he never will. Persephone can’t quite hear him though. 

Fiftieth floor.

“I have the other part of the list, the good part,” he says gently. “Your laugh, your kindness and grace, your perseverance, how much you love my dogs and how much they love you, your—”

“This feels ridiculous to admit, given that I’ve only known you for four days,” Persephone speaks, finally, cutting Hades off. Her voice sounds distant and lost. “But I have feelings for you. I haven’t been in love before.” 

Hades stops. Everything stops. He knows what she’s reading all of a sudden. Too many questions flood his mind, but all he can think about is the way Persephone is looking at him now. Her hair has not grown. There are no flower petals crowning her head. Her eyes are as soft as ever, but so, so sad. 

“Persephone,” Hades whispers. 

Sixtieth floor.

“I haven’t met a lot of ridiculously dumb people in my life,” Persephone says, folding the letter back up and handing it to him. “But sweet Gaia, you are really something, aren’t you?” 

Hades, like he typically is around Persephone, is dumbfounded. 

“You had no right to decide these things for me. I feel like you just didn’t have my feelings in consideration,” Persephone tells him. Eros is in the back of her mind, telling her to give it to him good. But she can’t. She can’t do that to Hades, no matter what he’s done to her. 

He looks like a puppy dog right now. Persephone can see the tiredness in his eyes, the bags under them emphasized. She fears he didn’t get any sleep the night before. 

“And while I can try to see your perspective of things, I can’t help but still be really, really hurt by everything you’ve done. And please don’t get me started on the list, _ whatever _that was.” Persephone’s hair has finally started to grow, but not in the frantic way it had been lately. It just shapes her head now, and she looks down as she fiddles with her fingers. Her nerves are back. 

Ninetieth floor. 

Hades stops it, quickly pressing the emergency stop button available. Persephone is taken aback. 

“You have every right to call me an idiot,” Hades starts after taking a deep breath, “and I have no excuse for the way I’ve treated you. Except that, maybe, it’s because I’m a really big idiot. The way I’ve treated you, that stupid, stupid list, everything was a monumental mistake.” 

Persephone gives him a look that says, _ yeah, no shit. _ She lets him continue though. 

“I don’t know how you got this,” he says, gesturing to the letter. “And I don’t know why. But now that you know it exists—in retrospect, I realize how silly a lot of it sounds. I think I was overwhelmed with everything that had been going on, Minthe, my brothers, work, and then you. You really threw me for a loop, Persephone. I don’t know what love is.”

“Neither do I,” Persephone interjects, sadly. 

Hades frowns. “But—but had I known I didn’t have to go through it alone, I never would’ve. I should’ve talked to you. Like an adult.” He scratches the back of his neck nervously, a weak smile to match. “I think a lot of it scared me. _ Scares _ me. You’re so young. You’ve got a scholarship I don’t want you to jeopardize. I’m so much older than you and all I’ve got to show for it is a crown and this building. I’m just...I look like your dusty ass dad!” 

Hades groans and runs his hands over his face.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me. But I meant what I said, I have feelings for you, quite strong ones. And...your voicemail. If you’re really over me, I’d understand. I think I made you wait way too long.” 

Persephone doesn’t know what to say, at least not right away. The air between them isn’t like before though. A lot has been lifted off of their shoulders in such a short amount of time. All it took was a day of mishap after mishap to send them spiraling into this. She sighs. 

“If I was over you, I don’t think I’d be here,” is all she says. 

“Oh,” is all _ he _ says. 

For a moment, silence. Then—

“I have to admit, I feel really stupid about the voicemail,” Persephone finally says. 

Surprisingly, they manage to share a laugh. It’s small, and only slightly awkward, but it’s there. 

“I broke up with Minthe,” Hades admits suddenly. “She—she wasn’t you. That was her con. She isn’t you.” 

Persephone’s heart jumps. She’s—shocked, to say the least. She hadn’t expected that coming in here. She hadn’t expected _ any _ of this, in all honesty. She just expected to get everything off her chest, tell Hades that she would leave the company if she had to. Things were going downhill so fast, and then abruptly stopped. 

“Oh,” she says. “I gave up my scholarship.”

Hades nearly chokes. “You _ what_?” 

“It wasn’t for you, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Persephone says. She can almost see the blow to his ego. “What I mean is...just like you, I don’t know what love is. If what I feel for you is that, I figured—if it happened with you, it could happen with anyone. Eternity is a long time to stifle these things, these feelings. It’s not that I’m not cut out for it, but in the beginning...it was a pretty nice feeling.”

Hades just looks at Persephone, the faintest of smiles pulling at his lips. He hums. 

“I mean, now it sucks. But I promise, it was nice for a few days,” Persephone adds, and they laugh. A genuine, nice laugh. 

“If I could apologize a million times, I would,” Hades tells her with such earnest, it pulls at her heart. It isn’t until then does Persephone realize that the dull ache is slowly fading away. 

The light blue flowers are back. 

“You _ are _ immortal,” she teases, “it’s not completely out of reach.” 

“Then, Goddess of Spring, I extend my first of many deepest apologies for the way I’ve treated you.” 

Persephone only smiles to the ground, tucking her hair behind her ear. Hades takes the chance to speak again. 

“If—If you’re willing, I wonder if we can figure out this whole...love and weird feelings thing, together,” he offers. “I just can’t get you out of my mind, Kore, and I’m tired of running.” They meet eyes once. For the first time in a while, the sadness in both their eyes begins to dissipate. 

Hades no longer looks so tired. The melancholy is slipping away from Persephone’s. 

“I think,” Persephone then says gently, “I need time. This is a lot to take in. We can go back to how it was in the beginning, and go from there. If you find out that it’s not just infatuation, then, well…” 

Hades isn’t disappointed, or upset with Persephone’s answer. In fact, he’s a little bit proud. As always, she handles situations with such grace and elegance, that it kind of takes his breath away. He smiles at her, and nods his head. “Of course,” he says. “Time. Like you said, immortal. We’ve got a lot of it.” 

Persephone offers him a grateful smile. Hades leans over to undo the emergency stop on the elevator, and it shifts back into motion. 

Ninety-one. 

They stand side by side for a moment, no longer speaking. The air is no longer thick though. Persephone can breathe, and so can Hades. The weight in their chests is gone, and the anxious fire that had been lit within them is reduced to embers now. 

Ninety-two. 

Persephone clears her throat. “I like your pocket-square.” 

Ninety-three. 

“Thank you,” Hades laughs sheepishly. It’s a pretty little pink one, with flowers. 

Ninety-four. 

Persephone glances up at Hades, he glances back. 

“Do you think that was enough time?” Persephone asks, and although it comes out like a joke, Hades doesn’t laugh. Neither does she. 

“Yeah, I think so.” 

The two of them smile giddy little smiles. In the briefest of moments, they’re standing face to face. Hades, truthfully, has no problem as he cranes his neck down to reach Persephone. She’s already on her tiptoes, and even though she knows she can rise up to meet him, she wants to do this right. Hades doesn’t quite care, especially not when their lips finally meet. 

Ninety-five. 

Hades has both his hands cupped against Persephone’s jaw, and Persephone’s are laid against his chest. When their lips meet, it’s unlike any feeling they’ve had so far. 

Persephone can feel the blood rushing to her face, her heart working double time to meet the commands. Before Hades, she didn’t really spend any time imagining what her first kiss would be like. But after they met, it was all Persephone could think about sometimes, kissing him and being kissed. After all this time wondering, fantasizing, it absolutely doesn’t compare. His lips feel like a dream. Eventually, she can’t help it as her body rises off the ground, just so she can wrap her arms around his neck and pull him much closer. 

Hades doesn’t want it to end. He no longer wants the ground to swallow him whole, he no longer needs to disappear. He is perfectly content there, right there in Persephone’s arms with his lips against hers. In that moment, he _ knows _ his lips were made for kissing her. The way they move together, slow and sweet, and so damn gentle. She tastes like a candied flower on an anniversary cake, and he tastes like the aftermath of a bonfire just as the sun begins to rise. Together, it’s perfect. 

Hades does what he can to deepen the kiss. When Persephone giggles, _ full on giggles_, into their kiss, Hades knows. It doesn’t have to happen slowly. Love can happen all at once, as fast as it takes to hit the ground, or to fall asleep. If this was it, and he was pretty damn sure it was, it was perfect. And it was fine. Even if a shred of fear was still there, he was perfectly fine. He could get through it with Persephone by his side. 

When the elevator dings, alerting them they’ve reached the 99th floor, they realize that they should breathe. They don’t _ have _to, but they should. They pull back to look into each other’s eyes, and they smile. Two giddy, loving smiles.

“Oh, that’s a _ lot _ of blue petals,” a voice says. The two of them look to see Hecate standing at the elevator door, hand on it to stop it from closing, with the most smug look on her face known to all the realms. “I’m not cleaning that up.”

Sure enough, Persephone’s hair has grown. But it has bloomed with sweet, baby blue flowers all over the place and falling to the ground of the elevator. She flushes, separating from Hades and her feet back on the ground. 

Hades wants so badly to glare at Hecate, because her smirk tells him all he needs to know about the letter and how it got in Persephone’s hands. 

But, he can’t. Even Hecate knows this, because she keeps on smirking as the two exit the elevator with glossy lips and two gross, blissed out expressions on their faces. 

“You’re welcome, by the way,” Hecate says, and gets on the elevator. She won’t drop that damned grin. “Next time, try not to forget about the cameras on the elevators. And Persephone, tell Eros to do better.” 

The doors close on Hecate and her knowing little smile. Persephone looks to Hades, and they burst out in laughter. They can’t be mad at her. Maybe later, but not any time soon. 

Hades doesn’t quite care who sees as he kisses Persephone again, sighing so happily against her lips. 

“I’m a morning person, by the way,” Persephone says when they pull back, but barely. Her lips are still brushed against his. 

“What?” Hades asks. His brain can’t function right when he’s got her this close. 

“Your letter. I’m a morning person. I can tell you the rest on a date,” she says, giggling again. “And we can forget about the list if you forget about the voicemail.”

“What voicemail?” 

Persephone blooms one more time over Hades, absolutely beaming right there in his arms. At the sound of her laugh, Hades melts. 

Somehow he knows that, as Persephone lays her head against his chest, he doesn’t have much to be afraid of anymore. Not with her by his side. 

All Persephone has to do is listen to the way his heart beats for her to know it’s true. 


	5. never gonna say goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I really wish tonight didn’t have to end.” 
> 
> Hades chuckles, scratching the back of his neck. “It doesn’t have to,” he tells her, as smoothly as he possibly can.
> 
> There’s a pause, and Persephone snorts, full on snorts with laughter that she quickly tries to apologize through. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she giggles helplessly. “That was just so cheesy.” 
> 
> \--
> 
> The one where Hades and Persephone...you know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow did i just finish a fic? wild. anyways here's the last chapter that is 95% self indulged smut! this chapter can really be set apart from the main piece but [shrugs] 
> 
> title is from "never gonna say goodbye" by dawes because uh it made me cry while i was writing this, the lyrics are so persephone/hades and it's pathetic.
> 
> if you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. i really hope you enjoyed! this was genuinely supposed to be a drabble which is why it's such a short chaptered fic but also i'm garbage and idk how to do the writing thing hehe. again, thank you!!

Eros sends a strongly worded letter to Hecate. Of course, he celebrates that Persephone can finally stop _ moping _ over Hades, but Hecate didn’t have to be so cruel! Sure, Eros let Persephone send the damning voicemail, but Hecate stole from the _ King of the Underworld_. And _ sure_, maybe they would’ve continued to mope and maybe grow to resent each other had she not, but that was besides the point. 

Persephone stands by in the sidelines while Eros has his little spat with Hecate. It’s funny to watch him go a little wild sometimes, seeing as he gets his entertainment from the spiraling of others as well. 

Besides, Persephone has more important matters to attend to, like what on Olympus to wear to her first date with Hades. Despite everything that happened, the jumble of anxiety that sat in her stomach is still there. Not because she’s _ genuinely _ anxious, but because she still feels like none of it is real. She keeps thinking she’s going to wake up at any moment, finding out none of it was ever a reality. 

But then she’ll get a text from Hades about how excited he is for their date, how he reserved them a table at his favorite restaurant and hopes she really, really likes it. He adds little hearts and crying emojis, then promptly apologizes because it’s a little weird coming from him. He just thought she’d like them. 

Persephone’s heart keeps doing these little jumps at the thought of him. It’s unreal, completely unreal. 

When Artemis finds out what happened, she nearly flies off the handle. Persephone had been avoiding it, somewhat, but Artemis was so helpful the last time she needed an outfit to where. She had to come clean eventually. 

“First you tell Hestia you give up your scholarship,” Artemis says as she paces their living room. “But come to find out, it’s because of _ him_?” 

“Was not!” Persephone immediately huffs. She pouts a little, the same pout that usually gets her out of trouble with Artemis. “I mean, I just—wanted freedom. My situation with him _ helped _ me realize that. But it wasn’t...completely because of him.” Persephone smiles sheepishly then, even batting her eyelashes a little bit at her.

A small feeling of triumph runs over Persephone because she can tell Artemis is already crumbling. “You know this is always going to be weird to me, right?” she sighs. “But you’re so lucky I care about you and how happy you are.” 

Persephone giggles gleefully, jumping up to hug Artemis tightly. Artemis is clearly fighting back a smile and the urge to hug Persephone back. 

“So you’ll lend me a dress for my date with him?” Persephone asks with a hopeful smile. 

With a roll of her eyes, Artemis pulls Persephone to her room and helps her anyways. Persephone knows it’s going to take her a _ long _ while to get used to this. Hades may never step foot in the house, ever. Not even if they get married one day—Persephone’s mind stutters at the thought. She can’t think that far ahead, can’t get her hopes up that way. Her face feels hot with slight embarrassment of herself. Persephone understands wholeheartedly that she’s young, and this is _ way _new. She needs to reel herself in before it gets too crazy. 

But, she isn’t opposed to the idea. If, one day, they decide they’re ready for something like that, Persephone doesn’t think she’d mind. In the current moment, she doesn’t know if her answer would be a yes or no or maybe, but she forces herself to stop dwelling on it. 

Artemis holds up a blue off the shoulder dress with lace sleeves, a slight smirk on her face. She wiggles her eyebrows at Persephone. “I don’t know who wouldn’t go a little wild seeing you in this,” she chuckles, almost deviously. 

Persephone flushes. She likes it, a lot. She wonders if Hades would too. 

—

Poseidon’s dumb little smile is driving Hades mad. The only thing he’s grateful for is that their “family brunch” isn’t in a gentleman’s club this time. 

“So my list idea worked?” Poseidon is far too proud. 

Hades scoffs. “No, it actually almost ruined everything,” he tells them. Zeus snickers behind his drink and shrugs a little. 

“But everything is fine, so stop sulking,” he says. “You’ve got a _ Goddess _ on your arm now, you should be beaming like the goddamn s—”

“Don’t you dare,” Hades snaps, “finish that sentence.” He’s only half kidding. 

Zeus raises his hands in surrender and stifles a laugh. “Right. Sorry,” he huffs. “But you know exactly what I mean. Fucking smile for once.” 

Hades tries to glare at his brother, but it falls flat, turning into a dejected little look. He sighs. “I’m just—nervous. Our first date is tonight, and I’m scared she’ll regret holding on for this long. What if I chew too loud, or talk too much, or don’t talk enough? What if she’s like, ‘oh, this guy actually sucks. Bye!’” 

Hades isn’t used to being this vulnerable with his brothers. It’s definitely a rare occasion, but this time, he can’t help. They both fell in _ actual _ love with their wives, and managed to make it work. Even _ Zeus _ was still with Hera by some great force, and Hades wants what his brothers have without all the bullshit. He could be grateful for the fact that he could follow their lead and do the exact opposite at the same time. After so many fickle years with Minthe, he is determined to find a way to make things with Persephone better. To make things with Persephone _ work_. Everything is still so fresh, but looking into her eyes, he saw something. A future. 

Poseidon glances at Zeus, then to Hades. “Two words for you: She won’t,” he tells him. “I know you won’t believe me, but she held on this long for a _ reason_. Maybe it was for your glorious face,” he says with a dramatic flourish, making Zeus chuckle a little. “Or, maybe, it was because she actually saw something in you. Any normal person would’ve given up after a week.”

Hades takes a long, slow sip of his drink. Persephone was too graceful for her own good. She should have given up after a week. Given the way Hades treated her, he wouldn’t have blamed her. Of all things to be grateful for, it was her. Her perseverance never seized to amaze Hades. 

He gives his brothers a small, genuine little smile once he puts his glass down. They’re helpful, sometimes. 

“Oh, and you do chew way too loud,” Zeus says nonchalantly. Poseidon breaks out laughing while Hades glares daggers at him. The moment is lost immediately. 

—

Persephone feels so, so out of place. Hades takes her to a private entrance of the restaurant, just to make her feel comfortable. Even though they are in a secluded part of it, away from most people, she still feels like she doesn't belong or even know what she was doing. 

There are three different forks on the table when she sits down. _ Three._ She doesn't mean to let out the nervous chuckle bubbling in her chest, but she does. 

“Kore?” Hades immediately sounds worried. He’s trying desperately to hide his own nerves, and he’s not sure how well it’s working. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Persephone is out of it, only briefly until Hades pulls her back to him. Her cheeks grow hot again as she manages a smile. “I—of course. I’m just—you know…”

Offering an empathetic smile, Hades reaches for Persephone’s hand across the table. It’s only the third or fourth time he’s touched her so affectionately since they first kissed and held each other. After that, it was like he was too scared. The second time was when they were leaving the office that same day, and he tentatively laced their fingers together on the elevator ride down on the forty-second floor. The third time was on the car ride over, when Persephone was a little jittery in the passenger seat, and all it took was Hades gently squeezing her knee with his big, soft hands to calm her down. 

Persephone is quickly learning how his touches affect her. As soon as his hand is on hers, she melts right under it. Her heart settles down, and she wants to cry with how content she feels. 

“I’m just not used to this,” Persephone says softly. This time, she makes the move to weave their fingers together. She doesn’t want to let go. 

“Is it too much?” Hades asks nervously. Had he already screwed up? Did he dive head first into this without considering her wants yet again? 

Persephone immediately shakes her head. “No! Of course not, I promise,” she insists. She gives his hand a gentle squeeze. “This is just my first date. Ever. As you can imagine, I never thought I’d be dating a King. Let alone you. It’s very new. But I’m so happy with it,” she tells him. “I’m just happy to be here with you. We could sit at home, cuddle up, and watch bad movies all night long with some take out, and I’d be so happy, Hades.”

Hades’ heart is goo. He feels like a schoolboy for even thinking so, but it’s the only way he can describe the way Persephone has made him putty in her hands. Sweet Gaia, he was so gone for this Goddess. His Goddess. 

When the little blue flowers that Hades has grown so accustomed to crown Persephone’s hair, he practically swoons. “Is that what you like?” he asks her. 

Persephone shrugs her shoulders. “I think I would,” she says. “If you think I need extravagant things to make me happy, I promise...I don’t. Artemis got me a pair of cat slippers from a flea market the other day and I almost cried.” Persephone giggles, blushing a little when she does. 

“I’m sorry,” Hades says. His smile is gradually growing the more the watches Persephone, the longer he holds her hand. “I’m just so used to having to give the best to people. I didn’t want to disappoint you.” 

Persephone pulls Hades’ hand up to her face, and she kisses it gently. She holds it up to her cheek, sighing. “You won’t,” she says. “Ever.” 

It takes a lot for Hades to not give in right there, surrender completely to Persephone’s gentle pull. Instead, he smiles at her so fondly, and asks her what her favorite bad movie is. 

Over the course of their dinner, Hades gladly helps her understand what the different forks are (even if he doesn’t understand one of them), and Persephone asks a thousand questions about his life. They sit, and talk, and laugh over a couple dozen things. Once they’re smiling, it doesn’t go away. 

It gets so easy for them. So fast. As promised, Persephone tells Hades what her favorite food is, and the top ten things she hates the most. She tells him why she’s a morning person, and asks if they can go to Olympus together one day to watch the sunrise. 

Because it’s her, he agrees. At this point, he’d do anything she asked. 

By the end of it all, the restaurant has nearly emptied out. One of the waiters is falling asleep on his feet. Hades apologizes profusely as he pays the bill, despite Persephone’s protests. He leaves a hefty tip before they’re led out to their car at the valet. 

“Thank you,” Persephone says when they’re in the car. She looks at Hades with a soft little smile. “I really wish tonight didn’t have to end.” 

Hades chuckles, scratching the back of his neck. “It doesn’t have to,” he tells her, as smoothly as he possibly can.

There’s a pause, and Persephone snorts, full on snorts with laughter that she quickly tries to apologize through. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she giggles helplessly. “That was just so cheesy.” 

_ Be still my beating heart _ he thinks to himself, though his face is hot and he’s laughing along with her. 

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” he manages once their fit has died down. “But...if you really didn’t want to go home. We don’t have to.” 

Persephone doesn’t answer. She just bats her eyelashes a little, tucks her hair behind her ear, and nods. It’s all it takes for Hades to shift his car into drive and head home. 

Once they’re there, he escorts her inside. Persephone hadn’t been there in so, so long, and she didn’t realize how much she’d missed it. 

While Persephone is looking around, taking in the feeling of being back, Hades is able to get a good look at her. He can’t help it as his eyes scan her body, up and down, and he feels so mushy. She’s so gorgeous. When he’d realized she was wearing a blue dress earlier, he had to resist the urge to clench his chest. The lace looked so nice on her pink skin, and he’d never been so attracted to _ shoulders _ before. 

There is just something about her. It drives Hades absolutely wild. He’s drawn towards her so effortlessly, so that when she turns around to say something, he’s right there. He muffles whatever she had to say with a kiss that she immediately melts into. 

“Hi,” Persephone mumbles against his lips with a shy giggle. 

“Hey,” Hades says back. He smiles, pecking her lips again.

Hades’ hands are on Persephone’s waist, and the feeling is there again. She can’t help the way his touch makes her buzz. His hands are so big, and so warm. Everything in the Underworld is so cold, but not him. He radiates such intoxicating warmth, Persephone can’t get enough. 

Hades manages to pull back from Persephone’s lips. “Do you want to watch a bad movie?” he asks her. 

“Am I allowed to say no?” Persephone returns, sheepishly. 

Hades can’t help but chuckle. He nods his head. “Sweetness, you can say whatever you want,” he says. His voice is so low and so sultry. Persephone shudders at the pet name. That’s definitely new, and she definitely likes it. So many things about the night were new. It would have been overwhelming had Hades not been so amazing, easing her into it. 

Persephone doesn’t say anything else though. What she does is lean up to kiss Hades yet again, hands cupping his jaw. He accepts it so gratefully, sighing into the kiss and pulling her closer. They’re flush against one another now, and Persephone wonders if Hades can feel the way her heart is beating, galloping in her chest. 

When Persephone does speak again, it’s to ask breathlessly against his lips, “Bedroom?” 

Hades doesn’t bother to respond. Instead, he lifts her, earning a little squeak from Persephone that drives him mad. With her legs wrapped around his waist, he tries to navigate his own home all the while still kissing her. He can’t get enough. Neither of them can. 

Hades is quite successful. He only knocks over one vase on the way to his bedroom, which is actually pretty impressive. Persephone tries to apologize, but Hades only kisses her again. 

Persephone lets out a gasp when they get to Hades’ room, and she’s pressed against the door once it’s closed. The last thing they need is one of the dogs walking in right now. But everything feels much hotter, and more real now. She isn’t _ completely _in the dark. Persephone has read things, maybe things she shouldn’t have been reading, but she has. She knows what the twisting feeling in her gut is as Hades caresses her thighs. She knows why her ears feel so hot, and why she can’t stop moving her hips against him. 

It feels fast, it really does, but Gods, it doesn’t feel wrong at all. 

“Is this is okay?” Hades asks, finally willing to separate from her mouth. 

Persephone is immediate with her response. She nods her head earnestly and runs her hand across his cheek. Looking into his eyes, she smiles. She means this. “I’m okay,” she says gently. “This is okay. I promise.” 

Hades smiles back and is so quick to kiss her again. He presses into this one a little more, using more tongue, making a few noises. His stomach flips when she lets out a small whimper in return. 

His pants are _ definitely _much tighter than before, and when Persephone realizes it, she feels dizzy. Hades has such a hold on her though, she knows she’s not going anywhere. 

The next noises that Persephone makes is one of disappointment. Hades stops kissing her, and she _ pouts_, it’s so fucking cute that Hades has to press one more kiss to her lips. But his goal isn’t that, it’s that pretty little neck of hers, and those damn shoulders. He takes his time though, leaving kisses wherever he can. Persephone’s breathing has gotten a little heavier, and he revels in it. 

Hades kisses on her shoulders, finally, sighing so happily. “You’re beautiful,” he whispers, voice so gentle but so seductive all at once. “You know that? You’re so beautiful, I can’t believe how gorgeous you are.”

Persephone is definitely overheating. She feels like she should be worried, but she can’t bring herself to care. Not with the feeling of Hades’ lips on her skin and his hands now holding her up by her ass. 

A moment later, she’s being pulled back from the door and placed on Hades’ bed. Looking up at him, Persephone can watch Hades undo his tie and button up shirt. His blazer is long gone, and Persephone is a little surprised. She soaks it all in though. He keeps praising her, but she is so enraptured by the sight of him. When his shirt is completely gone, she lets out a small, pleased noise. 

“My Gods,” Persephone nearly whines. 

Hades can’t help but be long over the whole shy thing. He can only smirk a little as he climbs over Persephone, never daring to tear his eyes from hers. “You’re so cute,” he says, finally kissing her again. “So cute,” kiss, “and so beautiful,” kiss, “and so amazing.” 

“I’m going to die,” Persephone groans. She can’t believe they went from four touches that left her reeling to _ this_, but she is not complaining. Not in the slightest. 

Hades scoffs. “Yeah, okay,” he snickers. His hands are back on Persephone’s thighs. So warm. 

Slowly, they drift up. The higher they get, the faster Persephone’s heart beats. She can hear it in her ears. The fire in the pit of her stomach is raging now. His hands are there, _ right there_, when they stop. He’s meeting her eyes again, and within the clouds of lust, Persephone can see how caring he’s being right now. 

“It’s not too late to stop,” Hades tells her softly. He just can’t be sure enough. He knows that this is fast, and he doesn’t want her to regret this in the morning. But Persephone shakes her head. 

“I don’t want to stop,” she says. “I want you. You can—you can touch me.” 

Hades gives it a moment. He’s not a ravenous dog, and he can take his time, so he does. Slowly, but surely, he hooks his fingers under the band of Persephone’s lace panties. He pulls them down at an agonizing pace. When they’re off, he gets a good look at them. Blue lace panties. 

“Who’s the scoundrel now?” Hades huffs. Persephone giggles and playfully pushes Hades’ shoulder. 

He tosses the panties aside and immediately puts his hands back on her thighs. Hades shifts between her legs, and lets her make the choice to spread them a little more. Her dress is still covering her, but he lets his hands travel towards her center underneath it. 

When they finally reach where they were going, they both gasp. Hades feels her folds, and she’s _ wet_. He drags two fingers between her lips up to her clit, and Persephone lets out the sweetest little sound. He rubs the erect nub so gently, pulling out more and more small sounds. Hades can tell she’s holding back. 

Hades pays a little more attention to her clit, because by the way she’s reacting, it’s so sensitive. It’s driving him crazy. After a moment, he lets his fingers move back down. She practically gives to the middle finger that slides inside of her, so slick as it pulls him in. 

“H—Hades,” Persephone chokes out. Gods. She feels so out of it now, so blissed out, and Hades has barely touched her. But his fingers are so long and so agile, that when he starts to slowly pump his finger in and out of her, she mewls. 

Hades can’t breathe. He’s watching her react, watching her chest rise and fall, her back arch so prettily underneath him. He adds a second finger, and her response does not disappoint. She grips his comforter and lets her head fall back. With two fingers working their way in and out of her, he uses his thumb to work her clit. She lets out her loudest moan yet. 

“Look at you,” Hades coos. “Have mercy on me, baby.”

Persephone can’t respond. Everything in her body is begging for more, more, _ more_. But her brain has nearly shut down, she can’t think of what words even are anymore. She tries to speak, but it comes out as, “Hhhh, plea…” 

Hades thinks he might pass out if he doesn’t undo his pants. He’s a fool for not doing it earlier. With his free hand, he tries hard to make work of them. Focusing on the fingers inside of Persephone and the hand struggling to pull his cock out is hard work, but he manages. He breathes out a sigh of relief when his pants are pushed down his thighs with his briefs. He’s painfully hard, and when he sees Persephone look down to see him, his ego definitely inflates a little. 

She’s not exactly shocked, but he’s never seen _ that _ look in her eyes before. It’s a mixture of lust, and hunger, and complete and utter wanting. 

“Hades,” Persephone says desperately when she’s found her words. “Please? Please, I need more.”

How can Hades deny her when she looks like this? 

Well, it isn’t easy, that’s to say. 

Instead, he pulls his fingers out of her, leaving her empty and whining in disappointment. He shushes her with a heavy kiss though, maneuvering to get his pants off completely. Once that’s done, he quickly makes work of Persephone’s dress. He lifts it, bunching it around her waist to finally see the delicious sight before him. She is glistening with slick, and Hades can’t help but lick his lips. 

Carefully, he pulls Persephone’s dress off of her. He’s taken aback when he sees that she hadn’t been wearing a bra, and his cock twitches at the sight of her, finally bare and presented just for him. “I—fuck,” is all he can manage. He attacks her lips once more, biting at her bottom lip before pressing his tongue into her mouth. It’s hot and wet, and he almost doesn’t want to pull back again. He does though, because he’s gotta have his mouth on other things right now. 

Persephone absolutely relishes in the way he trails his lips down her body. Her core pulses when they meet her raised nipple, sucking it into his mouth with fever. His hand massages her other breast, and below, she can feel him rolling his hips against her leg and the bed. She sighs with want, and with slight triumph. Persephone didn’t know she could do this to anyone, let alone Hades. He’s mouthing at her with such hunger, moving down until she can feel his breath cast across her clit. 

She whines. Hades is getting a bit fed up with himself, because although he wants to take his time, worship her body the way a Goddess’ body deserves, he can’t. Not when she’s presented so beautifully for him to have. 

“Hades!” Persephone yelps when she feels his mouth on her, tongue lapping at her folds up to her clit. She can feel him hum with need against her, and it makes her belly flip. 

Hades doesn’t know how, but she tastes so sweet. Tastes like she was meant to be eaten out, and he refuses to disappoint. He starts slowly, eyes watching her as she wriggles underneath him. He lets out a long moan when her hands find their way to his hair, and she pulls him closer. Hades can’t help but reach down and stroke himself. 

He eats her out the way she should be. Like Hades was starving and Persephone could make him feel like he’d never go hungry again. She’s an absolute mess beneath him, finally starting to get a bit louder, needier, rougher with him. 

Hades can feel her quivering, and he wonders if she’s close. Her thighs are shaking, her hips are starting to go a bit wild. She most likely is. Like the _ scoundrel _ he is, he pulls back. 

Persephone full on huffs. She’s out of breath, yes, but she looks at Hades like she hates him. 

“Don’t look at me like that, sweetness,” Hades chuckles. He’s a madman. 

Finally, he moves back up her body to kiss her lips once more. She can taste herself on his lips, and for whatever reason, it sends a jolt of arousal up her spine. She kisses him hard, her hands traveling down to touch Hades for the first time. 

It’s definitely a foreign feeling, but with the way Hades groans, she isn’t discouraged. She wraps around him, feels how hefty he is in her much smaller hand. She tries not to seem nervous when she gives him a small stroke. He moans into her mouth though, egging her on. 

Hades settles closer between her legs. All Persephone has to do is move him down at an angle to feel the head rub against her center and up her folds. She gasps at the feeling. 

So, so close. Persephone has half a mind to do it then, but Hades stops her as he pulls back. “Hold on,” he says carefully. Before she can protest, he kisses her again, a lot softer this time. He wraps his big arms around her waist before deftly flipping them over. He’s on his back now, looking up at Persephone as she straddles his waist. 

In that moment, they soak each other in. Persephone lets her hands splay across his chest. She tracks all of the scars on his body, takes in how magnificent he is. She had never felt so lucky in her entire life. Persephone feels like she could cry. 

Hades isn’t far from there. From this angle, Persephone looks utterly fantastic. Her body is sheen with with sweat, her hair has grown so that it’s flowing past her shoulders. Hades will never get tired of the blue flowers that bloom when he’s around. Hades is probably going to cry. 

Persephone realizes then that he’s letting her take control. She’s right there, so close to what she wants and he’s beneath her looking at her with these eyes that make her heart soar. She leans down, slowly taking his lips against hers. She kisses him, unlike how they’d been kissing before. Gently cupping his jaw, she keeps him there, just basking in how amazing it feels to be there at this moment. 

“I can’t believe you still want me,” Persephone hears Hades whisper when she breaks their kiss. She doesn’t pull back, just lets her lips ghost over his as she smiles. 

They’d been through so much these past few days. They almost died over what seems so silly now. Persephone really has to send Hecate a ‘thank you’ card now. Despite everything, Persephone most certainly still wanted Hades. She shows him with one more careful kiss and her hand on his arousal. She positions herself carefully, hoping deep down that she’s doing everything right. 

When it all feels right, he’s positioned right at her core, she sinks down. 

The breath is knocked out of both of them. Persephone sits back up, bracing herself on Hades’ chest. She takes it slow because she needs to remember how to breathe. Hades’ hands are right there on her hips, helping her so gently and so kindly. He’s rubbing sweet circles into her skin with his thumbs, easing her down onto him. He fills her up, inch by excruciating inch 

The feeling is like no other when she’s seated completely. Her body is _ thrumming_. She feels so indescribably full. 

Hades’ body feels like it’s going to pass out any second now. He can’t tear his eyes from Persephone, from the junction where their hips meet. He’s on her time now, and he’ll wait a thousand years for her to be ready if he has to. 

He thanks his lucky stars though when she wiggles her hips, letting out a sweet moan. 

“Kore,” Hades gasps. He’s never in his life felt this. It’s not even just the pleasure, it’s the heaviness in his heart that is yelling the fondest things imaginable. _ So beautiful, love her, so perfect, please love her_. 

The first lift of her hips is magic. They let out long moans in harmony. Persephone is so glad she’s in control because it’s almost too much. Almost. She manages though, using his chest to steady herself as she works up a pace. It doesn’t take too long for her to create a rhythm, not long at all for both of them to be letting out a chorus of noises that spur each other on. 

Hades still has his hands on her hips, helping her lift up and down on top of him. Her insides feels so warm, so _ good_, he never wants it to end. 

“I—Hades. Feels—Gods, feels so good,” Persephone whines, picking up her pace. Hades genuinely feels amazing inside of her, hitting a bundle of nerves that sends her mewling each time. Her head is thrown back in such pleasure. Hades still hasn’t ripped his eyes away from her. 

“Sweet girl,” he praises, and he lifts himself to wrap his arms around her and pull their bodies together. He takes his chance to mouth at her breasts, taking a nipple between his lips. Her back arches so deliciously against him, and he just spreads his hands against her back to keep her close. 

The tell-tale heat sparks in Hades’ belly. His hips are starting to move against her motions. They’re moving together so perfectly, Hades really can’t contain himself anymore. 

In a quick moment, he’s flipped them back around. Persephone has no protests as she looks up to meet Hades’ eyes. She reaches up to bury her hands in his hair as he moves his hips, burying himself inside of her over and over again. Staccato moans fall from her lips to match his thrusts as she writhes beneath him. 

“Hades,” Persephone chokes out when she feels her belly begin to tighten. 

“Yeah, Kore, yeah—” he chokes out. Hades is getting there too. He focuses on the heat coursing through him. On the sound of their breathing, their moans, the sound of their skin against one another, the feeling of his rapidly approaching orgasm.

A myriad of things sends him over the edge. It’s the complete look of bliss on Persephone’s face, the way her walls tighten around him as she finally comes, the cry of his name spilling from her lips. It’s everything all at once that sends him spiraling, coming deep within her and pushing his hips with the last few thrusts he has left in him. His head is buried in Persephone’s neck, breathing in her scent. 

Hades genuinely doesn’t know what happens next. He’s floating, and the only thing keeping him tied down to this realm are the soft little touches Persephone is giving him. Her arms are still wrapped around him, just holding him there, petting over his hair as she rides the last waves of her orgasm. 

The aftershocks hit Hades a few moments later, sending chills across his body. He swears he can see stars. He can’t stop himself from immediately spooning Persephone once he’s pulled out and lying beside her. 

“Wow,” he hears Persephone whisper softly. 

“Wow indeed,” Hades says back. He can’t believe any of that just happened. He truthfully wasn’t planning on it. He knew Persephone was still coming back from the events that even lead to this, but he didn’t regret it. He really hopes she doesn’t either. He presses feathery kisses across the back of Persephone’s shoulder, and he hears her sigh happily. 

They lay there in silence for a few long moments. It’s the most comforting silence yet. Hades can’t keep the dopey smile off of his face. Persephone is lying in his arms just the same. She breathes in the scent from his bed, because his pillows smell like him. 

“Hades,” she says softly after a while. 

“Yeah?” Hades responds. He sounds a little distant now, sleep riddled in his voice. Persephone giggles quietly to herself. 

“Never mind,” she tells him, putting her hand over his as she cuddles back into him. She laces their fingers together. “I’ll tell you in the morning.” 

Hades just nuzzles into the back of Persephone’s neck and all of her hair. “I think I know what love is,” he whispers into it. In the next few moments, he’s gone. He’s completely spent and too content with things to dwell on anything. He knows what he said and knows that he meant it. 

Everything in that moment seems perfect to Persephone. Things would slot themselves into place soon enough. People would write stories, ask questions, pry and wonder. But all Persephone cared about was Hades cradling her, and the way her heart danced at his words. She could hear the soft sound of his breathing, clearly drifting into sleep. 

“I think I do too,” she whispers back anyways. 

Even if they didn’t, Persephone knows one thing. They’d figure it out together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick notes for confusion: this was written before any updates of 8/25/19. also if anyone is wondering abt ap*llo i don't like thinking about him for various reasons so i just didn't with this fic, so it's not 100% canon compliant for that reason and various others.
> 
> thank you again so much for reading! feedback and kudos is always appreciated <3
> 
> blackwatchs.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> hehe let me know if there are any mistakes! :~) i hope you enjoyed!! blackwatchs.tumblr.com


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